Beat-up for looms



Aug mm c. R. KRONOFF EITAL 2517 21 BEAT-UP FOR LOOMS Filed 001;. l, 1&4?

INVE N TOR S CLARENCE R. KRO/VOFF GEORGE N. PETERSCM/ ATTQRNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Clarence R. Kronofi", Worcester, and George N.

Peterson, Grafton, Mass, assignors to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts i Application October 1, 1947, Serial No. 777,294

1 This invention relates tobeat-up means for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide an improved beat-up efi'ective to force the weft against the fell of the cloth in a circular loom. v 1

Circular looms employ one or more shuttles which move in a curved path around a central well down which the woven fabric is led. The warp sheds are formed progressively and the weft trails from the shuttle to the fell of the cloth in a path more or less tangential to the well. Because of the nature of the loom it is diflicult to employ the usual form of beat-up such as the reed of a reciprocating lay and diificulty has been experienced in the past in beating the weft firmly and tightly into the fell of the cloth.

guides the fabric for vertical movement, either It is an important object of our present invention to provide a beat-up more particularly adaptable for circularlooms' employing a wheel or the like the periphery of whichfis provided with teeth to force the weft against the cloth fell separated by notches which receive the warp threads. i

It is a further object of the invention. to provide a toothed and notched wheel as already mentioned which will rotate due to engagement of the teeth with the warp threads as the shuttle moves.

It is still another object of the invention to provide guards or thelike which are mounted close to the wheel but are recessed to permit a small group of warp threads to move into the notches of the wheel. The guards also assist in moving the warp threads out of the notches after the beat-up wheel has passed the beat-up point. With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, our invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of our invention is set forth, Fig. l is a plan View of part of a circular loom showing shuttles equipped with our improved form of beat-up, i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the beat-up mechanisms and associated parts, i

Fig. 3is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 taken transversely of the warp threads,

Fig. 4 is avertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 taken in a direction more or less parallel tothe warp threads, and I l Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed section of the left hand part of the wheel shown "in Figi4.

Fig. 1 shows only those parts of a circular loom which are essential toam understanding of the 10 Claims. ('01. 139-13) invention. A central well 10 of circular form upwardly or downwardly, generally in the latter direction. A spacing reed II has dents [2 between which the warp threads W pass. Reed H is stationary and concentric with the well, and the warp threads are supplied from any desired warp beam or the like not shown and are controlled by harnesses not shown. The reed is formed with a. horizontal shelf l3 extending inwardly toward the well, and the space between the reed and the well defines a shuttle race designated generally at R in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a complete shuttle S and part of a second shuttle S. These shuttles move along the race R in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l and are driven by mechanism part of which is shown in Fig. 1. Each shuttle has a body l5 at the trailing or rear end of which is rotatably mounted a roll it for engagement with a roll I! preferably below the warp threads. The rolls I! are caused by means not shown to move in a circular path and by exerting force to the left on the rolls I6 cause the shuttles to move as described. i

The shuttles S and S are provided with weft carriers or bobbins B and B and the latter is shown as having a filling or weft thread F extending therefrom toward the well in a direction more or less tangential to the latter. This filling F is the thread which is beaten into positionby our improved beat-up mechanism.

Each shuttle is provided with shed openers [8, one above and the other below the shuttle, as indicated in Fig. 4. These openers give the warp threads a separating movement in addition to that imparted to them by the harness frames and are so located as to move the warp threads t positions where they will not be objectionably engaged by parts of the shuttles.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of our present invention. As the shuttles movealong the race R their filling or weft threads will extend from their bobbins to the fell of the cloth and the shedding mechanism will open and close the sheds progressively so that each shuttle enters a shed different from the shed of the preceding shuttle. Somewhere along its length weft thread F passes from the warp shed of shuttle S to the shed of shuttle S, and from there on will be held by crossed warps.

In carrying our present invention into effect we provide a form of beat-up which will move the filling threads F firmly and tightly into posithreads out of the notches.

3 tion with respect to the fell of the cloth C. Each shuttle is provided with a flange 20 which is horizontal and extends inwardly from the shuttle toward the well In. This flange is thin as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and is provided with a bearing 2! on which is rotatably mounted a disk-like wheel 22. The wheel has a circular periphery provided with beat-up teeth 23 alternating with warp notches 24. The teeth and notches are preferably radial and vertical, and if desired the outer ends of the teeth may be enlarged as at,

25 and 26 to extend above and below, respectively, the web 27 of wheel 22. As shown in Fig. 1 the wheel 22 is located intermediate the ends of the bobbin carried by the shuttle, and it rotates in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the bobbin.

Guard means for the warp sheds are provided and are designated generally at G. Each guard includes an upper flat plate 33 and a lower similar flat plate 3! held thereto by rivets or the like 32. The plate 30 extends over the wheel 22 and is held in place by a screw or bolt 33 tapped into bearing 21. In order to facilitate removal of the guard the outer edge of plate 33 is inwardly slotted as at 35 to receive the bolt 33, and lower plate 3| is cut away to form a recess 36 which receives hub 31 of wheel 22. Slot 35 and recess 36 open toward the bobbin, and when screw 33 is loosened the guard G can be removed from the shuttle in a direction toward the center of the well Ill. A new guard can be placed in position by a reverse motion and held in position by tightening screw 33.

Each of the plates 30 and 3| has a rear edge 38 formed with a shallow recess 39 extending toward the axis of wheel 22. The recess 39 exposes a small part of the wheel as indicated in Fig. 2 to expose a few notches which can be entered by the warp threads adjacent to the recess. Those parts of the edge 38 at the right and left of the recess 39 cover or inclose adjacent parts of the periphery of the wheel 22 and keep the warp As shown in Fig. 2 the guard extends forwardly of a line passing through the axis of the wheel and extending in the direction of travel Of the shuttle. The spreaders or openers l8 prevent the warp threads from ontering the exposed notches below the guard as viewed in Fig. l.

In operation, the shuttles will move in a circular path as already described and guard G will keep the warp threads away from the wheel until they reach recess 39, at which time a small group of warps will be able to enter the notches exposed by recess 3 9, see Fig. 2. The vertical edges 40 of the teeth 23 will engage the filling F and progrcssively beat it tightly into the fell of the cloth as the shuttle moves. This beating-up takes place along a line more or less joining the axes of the well ill and the beat-up wheel 22, and. since the warps have already crossed in front of that part of weft F being beaten up the latter will be held in position. The warp threads located in notches 24 assume the positions shown in Fig. 5. The teeth 23 extend beyond the guard sufficiently to avoid excessive spreading of the warp threads. As the shuttle S for instance moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 the left hand parts of the guard plates 30 and 31 will engage the warp threads and hold them out Of engagement with the periphery of the wheel '20, see Fig. 4, until the recess 39 reaches the warp threads, whereupon the warps are enabled by their tension to move toward the wheel and enter the notches.

As the shuttle continues to move the warp threads adjacent to any given point of beat-up move out of the recesses 39 and in doing so are spread apart by plates 30 and 3| and move out of the notches 24. It will thus be seen that the guard G enables a small group only of warp threads to move into the notches at a time, this group first being permitted to enter the notches adjacent to the point of beat-up and then being moved out of the notches after the point of beat-up has been passed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided simple beat-up means for circular looms employing a rotatable wheel having warp receiving notches separated by beat-up teeth. As the shuttle revolves in path R the wheel 22 is rotated on its axis because of the meshing engagement between the teeth exposed by notches 39 and the warp threads. It will also be seen that the guard G allows only a small group of warp threads to-engage the periphery of the wheel 22 at a. time. It will further be seen that the teeth have edges 40 which are widened sufiiciently to extend above and below the point of beat-up to permit slight up and down motion of the fell without loss of registry of the warp threads with respect to the slots Having thus described our invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and We do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what we claim is:

1. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a weft thread extending in a warp shed to the fell of the cloth, a shuttle moving in a circular path, and a weft beat-up wheel rotatable on the shuttle and moving bodily through the warp shed and having teeth in the periphery thereof which press the weft thread against the fell separated by notches which receive the Warp threads.

2. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a weft thread extending in a warp shed to the fell of the cloth, a shuttle moving in a circular path, and a weft beat-up wheel rotatable on the shuttle and moving bodily with the shuttle through the warp shed and having teeth in the peripher thereof which extend outside the warp shed to opposite sides of the fell and press the weft thread against the fell separated by notches which receive the warp threads.

3. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a weft thread extending in a warp shed to the fell of the cloth, a shuttle moving in a circular path in the warp shed, a wheel rotatable on the shuttle and moving bodily with the shuttle through the Warp shed and having beat-up teeth in the periphery thereof for the weft thread separated by warp receiving notches, and guard means holding some of the warp threads away from the wheel and exposing certain of the teeth and notches adjacent to the point of beat-up to enable other warp threads to enter the exposed notches.

.4. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a weft thread extending in a warp shed to the fell of the'cloth, a shuttle moving in a circular path around the fell, a wheel rotatable on the shuttle and moving bodily with the shuttle through the warp shed and having beat-up teeth in the periphery thereof for the weft separated by warp receiving notches, guard plates, one on one side of thewheel and the other on the opposite side of said wheel, moving with the shuttle and holding certain of the warp threads out of engagement with the wheel and so formed as to enable other warp threads to enter notches in thewheel adjacent to the point of beat-up.

5. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a weft thread extending in a warp shed to the fell of the cloth, a shuttle moving in a circular path around the fell, a Wheel rotatable on the shuttle and moving bodily through the warp shed and having weft beat-up teeth in the periphery thereof separated by warp receiving notches, and guard means for the wheel mounted on the shuttle having a part ahead of the wheel with reference to the direction of motion of the shuttle effective to hold the warp threads adjacent thereto away from the wheel and having a second part behind said one part so formed as to enable the warp threads adjacent thereto to move toward the wheel due to their tension and enter certain of the notches and having a third part similar to the first part behind said second part effective to move the warp threads out of said notches.

6. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a circular Well from which warp threads extend to form warp sheds, a shuttle movable through a warp shed and around the well, a weft beat-up wheel movable bodily through the warp shed containing the shuttle and rotatable on the shuttle and having peripheral weft beatup teeth spaced by warp receiving notches, guard means including plates between the warp sheds and Wheel effective to keep certain of the warp threads out of engagement with the Wheel and said plates being recessed to enable other warp threads to enter certain of said notches, and means mounting the guard means on the shuttle with the recessed parts of said plates adjacent to that part of the wheel adjacent to said well.

7. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having a circular well from which warp threads extend to form spaced sheets of threads, a shuttle movable between the sheets of threads and around the well and provided with a bobbin, a weft beat-up wheel on the shuttle between the sheets of warp threads and between the bobbin and well and having peripheral warp receiving notches separating weft beat-up teeth, bearing means on the shuttle mounting the wheel for rotation, and guard means between the warp threads and wheel mounted on said bearing means and effective to prevent engagement of certain of the warp threads with said wheel and permit other warp threads to enter certain of said notches.

8. In beat-up mechanism for a circular loom having warp threads extending from the cloth fell to form a warp shed, a shuttle movable through the warp shed and provided with a bobbin, a weft beat-up wheel on the shuttle Within the warp shed and located between the bobbin and fell of the cloth and having peripheral warp receiving notches separating weft beat-up teeth, bearing means on the shuttle mounting the wheel for rotation on the shuttle in the warp shed, and warp guard plates between the warp threads and wheel supported on the bearing means, said plates being slotted on the sides thereof adjacent to said bobbin and being removable from the shuttle in a direction away from the bobbin.

9. In a circular loom shuttle provided with an elongated weft carrier th axis of which extends lengthwise of the shuttle, a beat-up wheel provided with peripheral weft beat-up teeth. spaced by peripheral warp receiving notches and rotatable on the shuttle and having the plane of r0- tation thereof substantially parallel to said axis of the weft carrier.

10. In a circular loom shuttle provided with an elongated weft carrier the axis of which extends lengthwise of the shuttle, a beat-up wheel provided with peripheral weft beat-up teeth. spaced by peripheral warp receiving notches and rotatable on the shuttle and located intermediate the ends of the weft carrier, the plane of rotation of the Wheel being substantially parallel to said axis of the Weft carrier.

CLARENCE R. KRONOFF. GEORGE N. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,605,672 Lloyd Nov. 2, 1926 2,398,956 Pelee Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 632,547 Germany July 9, 1936' 678,133 France Dec. 23, 1929 

